"As a family, we have decided that I will run for the United States Senate in the election held November 2014 and it's going to be a tough race," Cassidy said in the video, in which he appears alongside his wife, Laura. "I'm running against Sen. Mary Landrieu who's been there for 18 years and against the most powerful man in the world, Barack Obama."

He says that Obama "wants Sen. Landrieu re-elected because she's given him a blank check for his wasteful spending."

In the video, Cassidy offers some biographic details. He says that he grew up in Louisiana, attended LSU and LSU Medical School and worked for the last 20 years teaching medical students and treating the uninsured. His wife is a breast cancer surgeon. They have three children, one in college, one in public high school and the third home schooled.

In the video, both Bill and Laura Cassidy take aim at Landrieu for her support of the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 health overhaul legislation that was opposed by every congressional Republican.

Even the Obama administration admits," Laura Cassidy said, that the health care law "is raising the cost of health insurance, making it difficult for workers to insure their families." Landrieu has said the law will provide health coverage for those who previously couldn't afford it, and guarantee that people with pre-existing conditions won't be denied coverage.

In the video, Rep. Cassidy accuses Landrieu of switching her position and now opposing a balanced budget amendment, supporting earmarks and federal spending "for all sorts of things, including using tax dollars to pay for overseas abortions." The Cassidy
campaign said the candidate was referred to two Landrieu votes, in 2007 and
2009, against the so-called Mexico City policy that bars U.S. aid to
international family planning organizations that perform abortions, even if
they use their own funds to do so.

Landrieu said she's ready to run on her
Senate record. She was first elected in 1996.

"I have a proven record of fighting and
winning for Louisiana," Landrieu said. "Securing funds for coastal restoration,
helping rebuild our state after destructive hurricanes, supporting our oil, gas
and petrochemical industry, promoting small business start-ups and expansion in
Louisiana -- all of this I have done with great success."

Louisiana Democratic Party Executive Director Stephen Handwerk said Cassidy will have a hard time defending his support for the House GOP agenda, which he describes as "extreme."

"Bill Cassidy has spent his time in Congress fighting for extremists in Washington at the expense of the people of Louisiana," Handwerk said. "He is going to have a hard time convincing people in Louisiana that he has their best interests at heart when he repeatedly votes against hurricane protection and recovery funding and votes to give tax cuts to millionaires,"

Cassidy isn't likely to be the only Republican candidate in the race.

Rep. John Fleming, R-Minden, has been eyeing the race, and former Rep. Jeff Landry, R-New Iberia, as have Chas Roemer, the son of former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer.

Cassidy has
two campaign appearances scheduled today in the New Orleans area. He's
appearing at Bozo's Restaurant in Metairie at 12:30 to discuss his campaign
with "Jefferson Parish grassroots leaders" and at 4 p.m. with St. Tammany Parish
leaders at The Chimes-Covington.